New Ninja Printer Plate for consumer 3D printing

Feb.14, 2014

3D printer melts thermoplastic filament and then squirts it out onto your print bed. If you've spent any time using this type of machine, you understand the demands on the print surface. The print surface must be very flat and, ideally, allow for heating in order to improve print quality by keeping the extruded plastic warm and thus preventing warping. In addition there must be enough adherence between the filament and build platform to prevent the print from lifting off as the material cools, yet still allow the finished print to be removed without damaging it.

Introducing the Ninja Printer Plate developed by Wayne Huthmaker. This plate replaces the need for painters tape, kapton tape or other surface preparation on FDM style 3D printers.

Ninja Printer Plates are constructed of two unique fiberglass laminate skins bonded to an acrylic substrate, and its surface texture is very similar to blue painters tape. The plates have been tested successfully with PLA and ABS, according to Huthmaker. For printing ABS it is recommended to set your bed to heat to 70C.

The Ninja Build Plate is about 4.5mm thick and is designed to be attached to your flat build platform with binder clips.

The 140mm x 140mm (5.5in x 5.5in) Ninja Printer Plate designed to fit the Afinia H-279, 3DS Cube or PP3DP UP machine platforms is available for $25. Huthmaker has also designed a Ninja Printer Plate to fit the Makerbot Replicator 2 standard build plate. You could simply clip onto it and print. The Replicator 2 Ninja Printer Plate is available for sale next week for $39.

I have one for my Replicator 2 and it is the best. No more tape, hairspray, or chiseling prints off. Just level it, click print, and flex it off when it is done. Additionally I don't think I have had a build curl yet with this. I would recommend it. Don't forget to print the divider part!

Frank 4 wrote at 10/3/2014 8:32:43 PM:

I have one and its the best upgrade (besides aluminum upgrades & linear bearings) one can get. I get perfect adhesion with little effort to remove prints.
I've used the same side for about 4 months now with no notable wear.
Great job Wayne.

Jean-Francois Talbot wrote at 9/4/2014 2:20:03 PM:

I have been using this for months now. And I like it very much
I custom ordered a very large ninjaplate (325x325) and I am never going back to print on glass. I got one for my smaller printer too.
It works very well wit PLA and I do heat the plate with the same temperatures as I would do with glass.
I have not tried with other materials than PLA. But man does this work great (no brim at all) and only 125% thickness for the first layer.
Top for users, set 3 lauer height the ring you print around your parts, it makes it that much easier to remove.
Jeff

mbueno2k wrote at 4/16/2014 12:55:23 PM:

How easy is it to cut?
I ask because if is easy to cut with, say, a table or circular saw, you could make these in a generic, larger size that would exceed the size of the majority of 3D printers. The user could then cut the plate to fit his/her model of 3D printer.

jd90 wrote at 4/12/2014 12:14:55 AM:

I like this idea, I hope it pans out.
The suggestion of plain glass, no, plain glass doesn't stick very well, it needs something on the surface to aid adhesion. I also don't like having to apply tapes, liquids or sprays onto a build surface. Applying ABS juice to bare glass risks breaking the glass. I've seen a picture of glass surface pulled up, didn't believe it until it happened to me.
I'm disappointed that they haven't offered this for more machines. MK2 compatible plates should be trivial to make.

Ani wrote at 4/5/2014 2:54:28 AM:

one plate is useful for how many prints?

TobyG wrote at 2/19/2014 4:17:06 PM:

Lots of skeptical comments from people who don't seem to have tried it. Well, I've been using it with my MakerBot Replicator 2--and it's awesome! The adhesion is excellent, but even large parts remove easily by slightly bending the plate. No more blue tape, hairspray, etc.

TobyG wrote at 2/19/2014 4:15:54 PM:

Lots of skeptical comments from people who don't seem to have tried it. Well, I've been using it with my MakerBot Replicator 2--and it's awesome! The adhesion is excellent, but even large parts remove easily by slightly bending the plate. No more blue tape, hairspray, etc. I made some clips and a spacer for use with my MakerBot: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:252400

peter wrote at 2/17/2014 5:37:19 PM:

erm, haven't we been doing this for ages with plain glass ?

Lord Binky wrote at 2/16/2014 12:02:42 AM:

WTF? It's tan. Who's ever heard of a tan ninja?

Paucus wrote at 2/15/2014 1:45:33 PM:

glass and hairspray do a fine job

Johann wrote at 2/15/2014 12:22:14 PM:

It would be nice to have a 200x200 plate for all the common repraps ;)

Jason wrote at 2/14/2014 5:15:02 PM:

The article says its recommended to print abs at 70c then they show it running on an Afinia printer that doesnt have bed temp control, it runs at 100c on the bed. I'm assuming that is still okay for this plate?